Baile
by AnonM1ss
Summary: She supposed that charm would suffice. Not that she had enough of even that to begin with... [EXM!]
1. Charm

Another story (sigh… what can I say?)… so, what else is new?

My greatest challenge ever… here, let me explain:

1) The main pairing in this fic is Eniishi + Misao… Whee!

2) I'm pairing Aoshi with Megumi (yikes!)

Charm, Poise, Allure, Grace

Baile 

Chapter 1: Charm

She supposed that charm would suffice. Not that she had enough of even that to begin with. It was the simple truth. Out of the three sisters, she was undeniably the most plain. Her eldest sister Megumi was an exquisitely sophisticated beauty, her poise and wit making her all the more radiant in person. And substance? She had plenty of it—in the shape of a Stanford undergraduate degree in biology and a Harvard PhD in medicine. Her second sister Kaoru was no less formidable. She had natural grace and a prettiness that revealed the image of a wholesome, down-to-earth woman. She did as she pleased with a well-ingrained sense of morality and not a jot of worry as to how others seem to perceive her, and, as a result, she was the first of the three to be wedded.

Marriage. She was twenty-four and unmarried. And there was no rush for her to do so… not for the next five years, anyhow. Besides, Meg was already twenty-eight and still single. What had her worried was that she had no possible suitors in sight. Misao fitfully drummed her slender fingers against the window, her breaths fogging up the glass as she watched the raindrops break onto the smooth surface from the outside. She was in a restless mood… yet again. Seriously, how long had it been since she had even had a boyfriend? High school. And it had only been one boyfriend… ever. The petite woman leaned against the wall, her head lolling back so she could see the ceiling as she held a heavy silence. 

_Screw this. I'm going to fix myself a cup of cocoa._ She pushed herself off the wall with a mild frown cast over her shoulder at the foul weather outside. Was this God's idea of a picturesque San Francisco spring? A strident buzzing crashed upon Misao's ears, making her cringe inadvertently. "Goddamn," she muttered in a vicious undertone as she ambled over to the door, "first thing I'll do when Kate gets back is get her to make the landlady fix the doorbell." Misao pressed her nose against the door to peer through the entrance spy hole: "Hello?"

"Misao."

There was only one person who called her and her sisters by their birth names. That same person also was the only one who used names as a form of greeting. Never "hi", or "what's up?" or even "let me in". Just "Misao". And that man was Aoshi, Meg's fiancé, yet he referred to her with more formality than their own landlady did. It was always the full-blown "Megumi"… for God's sake, couldn't he even shorten it for affection? Then again, Misao was quite sure by now that Aoshi was not able to express affection in a normal manner. 

Misao let out a sigh before she shook her head in an attempt to relieve herself of her heavy thoughts, pasted a smile on her face and opened the door, "Aoshi… it's nice to see you." 

The tall man merely nodded, causing beads of water to scatter from his long trench coat and hair onto the floor: "Is Megumi here?"

Misao's lip twitched before she answered, "No, sorry."

"And Kaoru?"

"No, _Kate_ isn't here, either.

Aoshi either did not register the emphasis she had put on her second sister's nickname, or chose not to. Misao restrained the urge to roll her eyes and kept looking up at him with a polite smile, even as she felt the back of her neck get sore as she continued to strain herself to meet Aoshi's eyes. He was a friggin' six feet something! Most unusual for a Japanese man—even a Japanese American one. Would he do her a favor and come away from the doorway and sit down? 

"Er… Aoshi, would you like to have a place to sit down? I'm making some hot cocoa; would you like some?"

"No, thank you. I'll leave shortly. Just make sure either Megumi or Kaoru get this." He slipped a large hand into his coat pocket and brought out a small package, his dark eyes indecipherable as he extended his arm to her and dropped it into her hands without any explanation. Misao arched an eyebrow as she opened her mouth to question about the contents of the parcel. Aoshi interrupted her smoothly, "It was… ah, a good-bye present from their friend Saitou Tokio."

At the name, Misao grimaced—urgh, Tokio was decent, but her husband… whew, he was a totally different matter altogether. At her sour look, Aoshi merely looked down at her with intent eyes, eyes that seemed to lighten slightly as his thin lips pulled upwards in what could be called a semi-smile. Misao gave him a rueful grin in turn, "I'll do it. Do you want me to tell Meg to call you when she gets back?"

Aoshi's gray-blue eyes flickered over her face with illegible intensity. Suddenly, Misao felt uncomfortable under his piercing gaze—what was he looking for? The bout of discomfort was short-lived, however, when his voice cut through the silence coldly, "No, we'll talk tomorrow."

"Okay… I guess I'll see you sometime around then, right?"

The tall man turned to walk out the door, his darkly cloaked body upright and unyielding against the cream tone of the entrance walls and the warm cinnamon of the wooden door, "Yes."

"Take care, Aoshi."

"Bye."

_Cold, cold man… what did Meg see in him?_ Misao grinned dryly to herself, wrapping her arms around herself unconsciously. She was one to talk. When Megumi had first introduced Aoshi to her sisters, Misao had been smitten by his fine features. Aoshi was exceptionally handsome, and the fact that he had chosen someone as perfect as Meg only made Misao more aware of her own imperfections. No—she wasn't too faulty overall; it was rather the fact that she just was given less of everything in comparison to her older sisters that made her fidget. Anyhow, after spending a few guilty yet dreamy months trailing after Aoshi in her mind, Misao found out enough about him to ward off the unwonted feelings within a short period of time. He would not talk, a fact that bothered Misao not in the least. And he seemed to be, at times, almost lifeless. If it were one thing that Misao insisted that any of her loved ones, friends or significant others had in common, it was passion. All three sisters inherited fiery tempers, although it seemed like Kate had the most explosive one. Meg had a true passion for her calling as a doctor; her self-discipline and drive had earned the respect and affection of many of her patients. And she… she was most determined at being happy. 

Compared to her family, Aoshi seemed… well, barren. Besides money, status and security, what was it that drew Megumi to him? For the last year, from what Misao and Kaoru could tell, Aoshi was an expert at locking his emotions away. Not once had they seen any sign of endearment or warmth from Meg's boyfriend, even to her herself. He took everything from her as a duty. The carefully packed lunches, their dates… even the casual kisses Meg pressed on his cheek. The man was frustrating, and he made Misao helplessly mad whenever she saw Meg with her head in her hands, crying as she troubled over the enigma that embodied her fiancé. With coldness to that extent, what did Meg have to hold on to?

With taxing thoughts on her sister and her fiancé clouding her mind, Misao absentmindedly tugged her jacket on. She might as well go to the Lavanda now and immerse herself in bills and paperwork. Professor Helado would throw a fit if he found out that she hadn't done all her hours for her business internship. Grad studies at Berkeley weren't easy—if she wanted that PhD, she would have to put in the hours. 

UC Berkeley. When Kate and Meg had figured out she had gotten into the prestigious public university, and so close to home as well, they had been overjoyed. Misao had been pretty self-satisfied herself; from UCSD undergrad to Berkeley grad, it was a big jump. Her sense of achievement had been driven to the ground, however, at the utterance of one word from her cousin Yumi.

"Berkeley," she had said with barely hidden contempt and smugness evident in every syllable. Misao had wanted to grab her pretty neck and choke her to death. Her cousin smirked cattily, "How… nice."

That bitch. She had been uppity ever since she had first been accepted to Princeton. Misao bristled at the mere recollection of Yumi's slanted, violet eyes. There were few people Misao would claim that she _disliked_ (Mr. Hajime Saitou being one of those few), but Yumi was the only person she _really disliked_.

Her footsteps could be barely heard through the honking of cars and the pattering of rain. Misao tugged her jacket collar closer to her chin in an attempt to keep her body as dry as possible. Her chin was tucked in; her eyes settled on the sidewalk before her as she walked hurriedly down the street to catch the train. The downy warmth of her pea coat protected her from the onslaught of bitter, San Franciscan wind that tore at her cheeks and threatened to freeze her nose and ears off. Misao let out a long-suffering sigh and reached both arms over her back to grasp at her long, unruly hair. When she managed to slip a hair elastic off of her wrist and over her hand so she could braid her windswept hair, she made contact with a firm obstacle and fell without any trace of the grace her sisters seemed to emit with ease. 

"Ouch!"

Misao clutched her stomach—the wind had been knocked out of her. Wincing slightly, she looked up, trying to see who she had bumped into, "I'm sorry, I really should have looked where I was going."

Two pairs of eyes met hers, one of a grievously recognizable mix of lavender and gray, another of an astonishing deep turquoise. The owner of the turquoise eyes leaned over, his brow furrowed in what could have been irritation or concern, "Miss, are you—"

"My dear cousin Misao! How lovely it is to see you!"

Misao couldn't help but cringe yet once more at the saccharine-sweet tone her cousin took on when referring to her. Misao abruptly stood up, ignoring the hand the young man had offered her as she turned on her cousin with flashing ocean-tossed eyes: "Yumi," she said briskly, "I'm surprised to see you here."

Her elegant cousin was striking in a crisp midnight business suit, scarlet lips and pale skin. She turned abruptly to the teal-eyed stranger and twittered gaily, "Oh, what _will_ we _do_ with you? Missy's ever _so_ refined." 

The young grad student restrained the urge to roll her eyes at the biting sarcasm her cousin had slipped out—if Yumi had a stick up her ass, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. She turned with a drawn out sigh, ready to walk out on the pair of them without a word, when her eyes landed on the man standing by Yumi's side. Wow. That was all she could think when she looked at him. Wow. For starters, he had a head full of shocking, snowy hair. She found herself wondering stupidly if it was dyed. _Idiot_, she admonished herself, _of course it's dyed! How else would he get such a peculiar hue?_ The man also had wonderfully chisled features… he was a true depiction of Grecian beauty. Misao suddenly felt infinitely more clumsy and ungainly before the eye-catching pair her cousin and this man made—_she_ was wearing a huge gray pea coat with clunky heels. Luckily, Misao also was almost immune to such unearthly beauty; she had grown up surrounded by it, after all. She would not allow herself to be caught staring open-mouthed, and thus save herself any further embarrassment by hurriedly looking elsewhere. Ah, there. A random skyscraper point would do nicely. Perfect. Now, if she could excuse herself soon—she had no time to lose with unpleasant company.

"Yumi, I really have to go."

"Oh, you busy little thing! Why don't you—"

Misao heaved out another suffering sigh before cutting her "perfect" cousin off with an airy look and addressing the man by her side with a deadpan look, "I'm sorry I bumped into you. Now, if you'll excuse me…" With that, Misao turned around abruptly, brushing her coat clean with her hands as she melded into the crowd within seconds. 

"How insufferably rude!" Yumi had taken a few seconds to recover, and her feathers were still quite ruffled. The ivory-haired man merely allowed a languid smile to emerge. 

*

She was thirsty. Grabbing the carton of milk from the fridge, Misao opened it and drank out of it directly.

"Eww… I don't understand how you can stand that stuff, Missy." Oh, and that was another thing. Megumi was Meg, and Kaoru was Kate. She was Missy. It wasn't bad whenever it came from any of them or some of her friends, but when Yumi called her that, she could barely conceal the urge to scowl. 

She gave her sister a milk-moustached grin, "I like fatty milk!"

Kaoru shuddered, "But whole milk is just too creamy! Why can't you just save money and drink nonfat?"

Misao squared her shoulders, the familiar light of battle glistening in her cerulean eyes, "It's because you won't compromise and drink low fat! I might as well drink what I want if none of you will go for anything we can share in between. Besides, chocolate chip cookies taste much better when they're dipped in whole milk. When they're dipped in nonfat, it tastes like soggy cookies in water."

Kaoru rolled her eyes dramatically and threw her hands up in the air in defeat, "I give up!"

Misao wiped her mouth off with her sleeve before thrusting the carton back into the fridge and shutting it solidly, "Oi, Kate—the doorbell's busted. Get Mrs. Higgins to get her large rear end here and fix it up."

Her slender older sister glared at her from the kitchen doorway, "Stop nagging me about it already, okay? I've already asked… and be more respectful!"

Misao shrugged before giving her a grin, "Nah, that's what you're here for. I'm just here to make a mess out of things."

"Sure, sure… Hey, what's this?" Misao spun on her heels, her braid whipping over her shoulder as she looked over to see what she was referring to. Kaoru was holding the bag Aoshi had delivered earlier that day.

"Oh. 'Oshi wanted me to give it to you or Meg." Kaoru let out a light giggle—Misao was the only one who could get away with calling Aoshi "Oshi" in front of Meg—and she had only given up when Misao had refused to listen to her older sister's admonishments. To save Meg's face, however, Misao consented to refer to him in a formal manner whenever he himself was present. 

"What is it?" Kaoru's slender fingers held up the parcel gently, "It seems like a compact solid." Misao sighed—leave it to Kaoru to bring the classroom back home with her.

"Stop trying to nerdify me, Kate. It's a 'goodbye present' from Tokio."

Kaoru smiled, "How sweet."

Misao coughed, "They say that opposites attract."

The smile vanished within an instant, "Missy, I don't want you to badmouth Tokio's husband any more."

"It's not my fault that he's 1) creepy, 2) mean, 3) sinister, and 4) planning to bring down the Golden Gate Bridge for some obscure terrorist reason!"

"Missy! Act your age!" 

In response, Misao stuck out her tongue in the most undignified manner she could adopt.

**

"Pass the salad."

"Don't forget 'please', Missy, or else we won't give it to you."

I ignored Meg as I reached over the table to grab the bowl. Meg's lovely face scrunched up in a frown as Kate shook her head at me admonishingly. What? I was too hungry to deal with etiquette. Why the sudden brushing up on table manners?

Megumi and Kaoru exchanged looks amongst themselves before Meg opened her mouth and said, "Misao," (oh, this was something serious—she never called me by my given name unless she was dead serious), "Kaoru and I have to attend an event on Saturday that means a lot to Jiya's business. We decided that you have come of age to accompany us."

I nearly sputtered my wine all over myself, "What?"

"Please," Kate pleaded, her sapphire eyes large in her heart-shaped face, "It would mean a lot to the both of us, not to mention Jiya."

I raised an eyebrow in suspicion—my sisters had never specified the details of these routine events, nor did I express any curiosity on the matter. I opened my mouth to inquire on the nature of the event when Meg and Kate stood up abruptly, jostling their plates together and going about in a great hurry, "_Please_ say you'll do it, Missy."

"Well, I—"

"We're getting _awfully_ late. Missy, I know you'll be an angel and do it, right? Kate, have you seen my purse?"

"Where are you guys going?"

"It's right here, Meg. So, what do you say, Missy?"

"Yes, but—"

"_Wonderful!_ You are such a sweetie! Now, Kate and I have to go now."

"We'll clue you in on the details later."

Details. That was precisely what I was afraid of. 

***

When had I ever agreed with Meg to attend to a black and white event? I was still muttering curses to herself as Meg and Kate dragged her out shopping in Union Square. Shopping had never been "recreational" for me. In fact, glamour and beauty had never been my forte. When deposited at the makeup section, I was as blind and lost as a newborn baby. How was one to know that some products were blush, lipstick and eye shadow all in one? And that some mascara containers looked like lip-gloss? Or that one had to wear sunscreen _underneath_ the concealer? By the end of the day, my head was spinning and my nose was fatigued by all the perfumes her sisters made her smell. What had ever possessed me to take part in such foolery?

"Hmm… they _would_ look good, if her feet weren't so flat."

"Weren't ours like that when we first started wearing heels?"

"True, but we got used to them over years. _She_ only has until this Saturday."

"Better stick to the low heels, then."

Yup. Next they had gone shoe shopping. 

_Heels.__ Do my Docs count as heels?_

"Hey… those look _nice!_"

Both of them turned on me: "Missy, do you like these?"

They were horrible—black leather platform with a suede violet flower wedged between the toes. _Ugh._ At the sour look on my face, both my sisters sighed. Meg bit her lip daintily as she threw up her head in despair, "What are we going to do with you, Missy?"

Funny. That was the second time someone had asked me that this week. 

Kaoru let out a sigh as she looked at my feet. Then, she did a double take, "Gah! When was the last time you cut your toe-nails?"

Author's note:

**Names** are a recurring motif in this story, if any readers had noticed. Hmmm… maybe color will be, too. 

Oh, and if anyone is still confused with the name changes, Kaoru=Kate and Megumi=Meg. I will use them interchangeably throughout the story. Often when their nicknames are used, it will denote familiarity or a change of POV (like from Aoshi to Misao, or something).

Also, I seemed to find that the moods in my stories were often quite consistent… in this story, I hope to brush up on humor as well as drama, angst and romance. Adventure? Argh… I'm not sure if I can pull it off in this one. The switch on the POV's was on purpose this time. 

To the Aoshi and Misao fans: Sorry to disappoint this time. I am still keeping up with nearly all my A+M stories though. _A Whisper of Grace_ is next on the list. 


	2. Poise

Chapter 2: Poise

            It was troublesome, to say the least. This whole ordeal: putting on the gown, getting manicures and pedicures, hair styling and applying makeup—it must have gone on for nearly the whole afternoon. By the time Kaoru and Megumi were done with her, Misao felt like a flounced doll. Or a groomed poodle. Well, at least the heels were nice. Misao had insisted on ballet flats, and after much ado about nothing, she had gotten her way with both of them. She leaned back on the plush leather seating of the hired limo with a sigh of contentment as she wiggled her toes inside the pearly flats. They were the most daring piece of her ensemble, especially the way the lace coiled around her ankles and legs, hidden under her dress. She was wearing a long, sleek and form-fitting lavender evening gown that draped low across her chest and back. It hugged her hips neatly, and flowed outwards with the curve of her legs. Her hair was done in an elegantly loose French braid, leaving only a few wispy strands to frame her face. Megumi had done the makeup, and for that she was grateful—she was greatly afraid that if they had gone someplace to have her make-up done, she would come out with Cleopatra eyes or clown makeup. Instead, Meg had decided to line her eyes discreetly and dab a bit of lilac on her lids, brush on a bit of blush and apply lip-gloss. Kate, having been unfortunately subjected to her monthly courses, decided to be snarky and comment on how "just a bit of makeup could go a long way." But when she herself had looked at her get up in the mirror, Misao had to reluctantly agree with her sister—she did look a lot nicer than would be expected. 

            Both her sisters were nervous. Misao had first attributed the misplaced ambiance with her own discomfort at the whole event; after all, her sisters were always under control… weren't they? But Kaoru was unusually aggravated, even with her present condition, and Meg had not let out any of her usual foxy comments all evening. Perhaps she would do her sisters a favor and not make a fool out herself this time… it seemed like there was something at stake this evening. Reaching out, Misao gently took Kate's hand and held it, while turning slightly to say to Meg, "Do you know what? I saw Mrs. Higgins do the most outrageous thing the other morning…"

            By the time the limo had arrived at their destination, all three sisters were laughing over the latest of their landlady's travails, and stepped out of the car with genuine smiles on their faces. Smiles that faded within an instant—the two elder sisters immediately remembered what they were there for and adopted identical frowns of determination, whereas Misao was openly gawking at the splendor of the building before them. They had arrived at the Legion of Honor, a museum that stood in its lunar splendor when illuminated by the San Francisco night sky. Misao had been there countless times during the day, but had never had the opportunity to see it in a nocturnal setting. She let her jade eyes trail over the pillars with open admiration as she felt someone gently nudge her side and automatically made herself walk towards the museum. There were a myriad of distinguished-looking people trailing into the building, extravagant laughter echoing throughout the building and luxurious clothes on full display. By the entrance, there stood a lone figure, dressed impeccably in a tuxedo, and blended naturally into the night's shadows. 

            "Hello, Aoshi," Misao heard Megumi say as she sauntered over to the man by the entrance way, "It was nice of you to accompany me tonight."  
            Aoshi merely nodded, "Megumi." Then, something appeared to have caught his eye; he looked over Megumi's shoulder with a fine eyebrow arched in silent inquiry.

            "Oh? Yes, I brought Missy along with Kate and me." 

            I wanted to wave hello, but somehow, it didn't seem befitting to do so around such elegance, so I gave a smile in greeting instead, "Hi, Aoshi."

            Kaoru, not expecting Aoshi to say anything other than "Misao", followed shortly with: "Hello, Ao—"

            "Hello, Misao."

            It had been a simple hello, but it made the three of us freeze up. Meg was giving the two of us a bewildered look, while Kaoru shook her head as if to say "am I hearing things right?" without even bothering to complete her sentence, and Misao gave the man a shaky smile. What a night this was—she had somehow managed to get herself in a dress and Aoshi had broken his usual form of address, enlarging it with a gargantuan "hello"… and directed to her, nonetheless. What else was in store for her?

*

            It was getting boring fast. The only person worthy of acknowledgement was Dr. Sagara, and that was due to a long-lasting friendship he had maintained with the aforementioned man since grad school. He had the misfortune of meeting Yumi several times within the last hour; the first time had been quite by mistake—he could tell by the way she had momentarily flustered, but the next few times were calculated with a devious look in her eyes and a beguiling smile. And she wasn't the only one; it seemed like there were no authentic, unpretentious women in sight. He was told countless times that the Makimachi sisters were "simply priceless" and "worthy acquaintances"… indeed, within the first few minutes of their meeting, he would be able to tell if those compliments did them justice. And an encounter was simply unavoidable—he would have to meet them sooner or later, and introduce himself. He was of the utmost importance to their futures. 

            "Oi, Yukishiro!"

            The snow swept hair made him an easy target, and once Sagara had downed his preliminary three glasses of wine, he sauntered over to his friend with a roguish grin marking his handsome features, "Don't tell me you're bored, already. There's so many fine ladies here."

            "Once I meet the old man's granddaughters, I'll leave."

            Sagara grinned wider, "Suit yourself. I'll take advantage of the food they have here. I won't have anything of the sort within the next few months, anyhow."

            It was Eniishi's turn to smirk, "Ah, yes. Traveling with your brother. I presume that the Amazon will not be too difficult for the Sagara brothers to handle. As a doctor, you would know about the malaria, worms and jungle fevers that one tends to get in such places."

            His friend's eyes twinkled as he said curtly, "Ah, sod off."

            The hubbub of the room suddenly died out, only to be replaced by muffled whispers and pointed glances. Sanosuke rolled his eyes, "I think that your old man's girls have arrived."

            Eniishi grimaced, "Indeed."

            When they had stepped into the gala hall, all the noise and talking had died out almost immediately. Misao grinned, not expecting anything less when her sisters and Aoshi had entered together. They were all a sight to behold, and it would do them no justice if they weren't gawked at for the usual span of ten minutes. But they had gone no more than ten paces when Misao heard a voice that made her blood curdle, "Oh, _dear_ Meg! Kate! Aoshi! How _lovely_ it is to see you here!" At this greeting, Meg's brow furrowed even more, making her successfully resemble Aoshi, Kate had pasted on a strained smile, and Aoshi had conveniently left to get them all some refreshments. Misao wanted to vanish into the walls or melt through the ground—Yumi… here?

            "Why, hello, Yumi," she heard Megumi say coldly, "How nice it is to see you."

            "How nice it is, indeed," she heard the sly minx purr, "It wouldn't do for my favorite cousins to slip by without my noticing it."

            There she went name-dropping again. But this time, instead of Princeton, she was claiming their kinship as a lofty connection. The irony of the events made Misao smile. Something in that smile must have fallen disagreeably on Yumi, because she turned on her with slanted, mauve eyes and a catty smile, "Oh, if it isn't little Missy, as well. Finding society here much more agreeable to that you find at Berkeley or UCSD, right?"

            Misao's eyes narrowed in anger, and she opened her mouth. Meg and Kate exchanged looks of helpless despair as they anticipated their youngest sister's next tantrum and Yumi's eyes flashed with triumph. No, she would not disappoint her sisters.

            "I don't know, Yumi. I've only just entered the building—it would be extremely shallow of me to determine superiority of either societies within mere seconds of exposure."

            Her sisters beamed at her as Yumi's eyes slanted even more. Apparently, quite a few people had been listening in on the conversation, because she heard a few coughs and ill concealed snorts of laughter littered throughout the room. Yumi colored slightly and opened her mouth, probably to utter some more sly, stinging remarks when her voice was drowned out by a fresh, masculine voice, "Besides, what's wrong with San Diego?"

            All three sisters turned to look at him. He smiled at them with ease, his warm cinnamon eyes flickering over the sisters. Hmm… what an attractive family they made. Before he could even finish his perusal of the first one; however, he heard a strangled cry that was strangely recognizable, "Sano!"

            It was Sano. Completely decked out in classy tux. How in the world had he managed to get himself into one of these events? Ballroom finery? He was more the kind to hitch a ride to Reno for some heavy-duty gambling and drinking. Misao couldn't help but call out his name in surprise. It had been almost three years since they had last seen each other. His russet eyes grew dark with bewilderment for a moment before they latched onto hers, and sudden recognition melted his confusion as he grinned, "Missy! It's been," he said as he swept her up in his arms, "forever! How's my little woman been doing?" She laughed giddily, plonking him over the head with her purse as she said, "Lemme go, you big ruffian! Where have you been all this time? If it were possible, I'd say you've grown even more!"

            He put her down abruptly, then impulsively swept her up in another embrace as he said, "It's so good to see you, you little brat. What're you doing in a dress? Decided to get all prissy on me?"

            "I'd like to say the same to you, you—"

            "Ahem." The two friends abruptly dropped their conversation as they looked at Misao's sisters, and Yumi. Aoshi had returned with drinks, and something in his glacial eyes made Misao remember what a state she was in and promptly attempted to disentangle herself from Sano's grasp. Sano, who gave her one swift look, understood what was going on within a flash and released her gently, his keen dark eyes seeking out answers from Aoshi. Meg, who had missed the muted interaction between the three, gave the young pair a foxy grin before saying, "So, who is this?"

            Misao had recovered splendidly by then and grinned as she jerked her thumb towards her older friend in an utterly unlady-like fashion: "This lump here's Sanosuke Sagara."

            Meg did a double take: "Sanosuke Sagara? As in the medical researcher?"

            Sanosuke grinned at Misao, who was gazing up at him with open wonder, "The one and only."

            "You're into medicine and science? That's the last thing I would expect from you!"

            He pinched her nose affectionately, "Well, now you know, Missy." Then he turned to Yumi with a smirk on his warm, handsome features, "So what is it about the society in UCSD that make it less agreeable when compared to this?" He grabbed Misao in a close embrace, his eyes never leaving Yumi's as he said, "_We_ are what make this society." And with that, he waved her off. Misao had never seen her cousin leave in such a hurry. Most impressive.

            "So," Sano drawled, making Misao turn to pay attention to him again, "would you kindly introduce me to your lovely sisters?"

            Misao giggled once more, "This is my eldest sister Megumi. This is my second sister Kaoru and this is Meg's fiancé, Aoshi Shinomori." Sano's eyes had lingered on Meg a tad bit longer than they had on Kaoru, and at the mentioning of a fiancé, his smile dropped marginally, so marginally, in fact, that it seemed only to be caught by Misao and Aoshi, whose somber countenance grew darker, if that was possible. Misao was worried—this could go wrong quickly. She grabbed Kaoru by the wrist and said chirpily, "But Kate's still free, and I give you leave to have her!"

            At this, Kate could only sputter, "Missy!"

            Sanosuke laughed pleasantly, "Aw, nah, Missy. I'm not her type. She's all delicate and flowery, whereas I have bear hands and a towering figure. I would always be afraid of breaking a girl like her in two." He then winked at Kate, "Not that you're not pretty enough, or anything."

            Kaoru only blushed more and tried to laugh it off as Meg burst into peals of silvery laughter. Aoshi seemed to loosen his death grip on his wineglass and Misao nearly let out a sigh of relief—for now, the coast was clear. Misao was ready to break off from her group with Sano so they could catch up with their lives when she heard someone murmur, "May I be let in on the joke as well?" Then she turned to glance into a pair of sharp turquoise eyes and promptly dropped her wineglass. 

**

            It seemed like Sagara had found them first. It figures—whenever pretty women were available, he would flock to them like… well, he didn't want to make any biological analogies. He himself had been under the intent of coming over to talk to them as well when he had heard Yumi's soprano twittering and decided that maybe a five or ten minute delay was at hand. There—he could see his brother-in-law from across the room. That distinguishable red hair… He began to walk through the crowd, his teal eyes intent on the diminutive man who stood by the balcony. The widower was not to be undone, however. With keen violet eyes, he had long since detected his presence and awaited his greeting with a mild smile, "Eniishi, it's been a while."

            The tall man smirked slightly, "Two years, to be exact." His ocean-hued eyes took on a lighter hue as he inquired quietly, "And onee-san?"

            "White plum blossoms adorn her side in Kyoto." The only other tie to his deceased sister stood before him with a somber air, his pristine indigo eyes glistening slightly as both men recollected a past with _her_.

            A solid yet warm hand shook him out of his nostalgic reverie, as a soft, deceptively effeminate voice murmured soothingly, "Take care, Eni-kun."

            Eniishi's face hardened as he automatically took control over his body once more, yet his eyes were degrees denser their eloquent hues, "You, too… Kenshin."

            The cross-scarred man smiled placidly, his eyes crinkling as he gently emitted an air of satisfied pride and contentment, despite the unearthing of old happenings that had scarred them both physically and mentally. He had seen what Tomoe could not—their Eniishi had matured into a wonderful young man. And, even though Eniishi could not bring himself to call him "brother", the older man could feel the same warmth whenever he addressed him, and that was enough. It was amazing how much love could be put into one name alone. 

_Kenshin… Tomoe… Eniishi_. 

***

He let out a low rush of air as he brought long slender fingers to run through his elegantly frosty locks. The short meeting he had with Kenshin had been taxing on his nerves—he had come here to do business. It wouldn't do to confuse his emotions with his affairs. Not that he didn't appreciate seeing his only kinsman left, Kenshin had always been a soothing balm to his pain, just as he was a reminder of it. _Tomoe onee-san_…

No, that was quite enough. He would focus on meeting the Makimachi sisters, and once it was all over, he would have the rest of the evening to dwell on his past. He sauntered with a leonine dexterity, his sharp eyes on the prowl as he covered the dance grounds. Where were they? A flash of unruly, gravity-defying brown hair easily met his eye. There were few men that rivaled him in height, and Sagara happened to be one of them. And there were even fewer such men who shared such characteristic hair. Chances were that Sagara was still mucking around the three women, and if he just walked over, he would finally bring the meeting into order. 

Sure enough, there they were. Sagara was entertaining them at the moment with some paltry joke, no doubt. He would really have to take some time in the future to enlighten him on the more refined ways of diverting an audience. His friend was gesturing towards a slender, ebony-haired woman with clear sapphire eyes at the moment, his roguish grin and muffled words indisputably the reason for the woman's deep blush. Was she one of the sisters? She was pretty enough as such heiresses go. His intelligent eyes sought out the other sisters and settled on a tall, willowy woman who was undeniably a beauty. Her sophistication and dramatic attire set her as one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. His eyes wandered from her refined, amused features to her well-endowed body and her arm linked… to another man's. At that precise moment, the woman leaned over, appearing to whisper something into her companion's ear with a slender hand. Her left hand, to be precise. It was this hand that betrayed her unavailable situation—she was affianced, as the twinkling diamond on her second-to-last finger freely told all who wished to see. He let his quick glance fall upon the man whom she talked to and smirked slightly. It was none other than the formidable Aoshi Shinomori himself. He would have to verify all reasonings behind this connection once he had the time, once he met them all. He had heard that there was a third sister… if that was true, where was she? He walked over with adept ease—there was no need to give an air of hurriedness. By the time he had reached the group, he stood a mere foot or two away from Sagara, an expression of practiced amiability washing over his chiseled features as he asked languorously, "May I be let in on the joke as well?" 

The whole group abruptly turned to him, all laughter ceasing for a moment as they scrutinized him in hushed bewilderment. Sagara's eyes crinkled with subdued amusement as he watched Eniishi handle the situation with his usual unbending calm. What he hadn't expected was to see a pair of familiar emerald eyes stare back into his own. What was _she_ doing here?

            **Author's notes** **and responses**: (Note: the responses are to questions or comments that I feel could be elaborated on, or require a response. Do not feel offended if your review is not answered to, and if you feel that your review should have gotten some attention from me, feel free to e-mail me: Jeanhee85@excite.com).

No, at this point Misao does not truly know the influence her name bears in society. Meg and Kate held the responsibility of wielding the family name with Okina, out of the wish to keep Misao as happy and stress-free as possible, but with the arrival of Eniishi, things will start to get trickier…

Yes, Eniishi and Kenshin's relationship in this story has more warmth in it, regardless of Tomoe's death.

            **Cat H**: I'm not feeling feverish… I've loved E+M (though not as much as A+M) ever since I first read Midori's White Tiger Jade Concubine, which is currently one of my favorites! I love Eniishi, and I think he and Misao can have great chemistry… they're highly well matched, in my opinion. I just didn't know if I had Eniishi's character down straight, or if I could pull off writing such a pairing correctly. After finding that I could write stories for other couples for Inuyasha; however, I decided to finally step up to the challenge. I truly like the pairing of this story, and this is not an abrupt change of mind. 

**Elena the Eccentric**: Yes, I do agree that Eniishi in RK had hints of what could be almost registered as an incestuous obsession with his sister, but I honestly believe there is more to the "psychotic loser" than madness. He has several shades that make up his psyche, and I think that his obsession with Tomoe was born out of insecurity and extreme loss. If you've lost all your loved ones, it wouldn't seem like such a bad idea to rely on a ghost. Better to have someone to feel safe with (even if it is in the figment of your imagination) than no one at all. In this story, I bring out what Eniishi could have been if he were left in a more nurturing environment, with a more stable footing of his surroundings and a stronger grasp on those who mattered to him (Kenshin).

**Karasu**: You're reading _Remnants of the Day _as well? Wheee! I love it when fandom crosses different genres! If you like odd couples, you could also try reading my other Sesshoumaru story (this time he's paired with Sango!): _From Within_. 

Ah, yes… the nicknames. Well, I was wondering if I would call Misao "Missy" or "Misty", and each seemed fine. But then I thought how ironic it would be if she were to be nicknamed Missy when she was so obviously tomboyish. Also, Missy gives one a feeling of being coddled—Missy would be a good nickname for the baby of the family, which fits Misao perfectly. Naturally, her nickname is a sore spot and a reminder of her family's affection at the same time. It's kinda like being called "Junior". Kaoru also was a hard choice. I wanted to have her be either "Kate" or "Kaye", but Kate a softness that depicts Kaoru better than Kaye does, so I chose Kate instead. It's a wholesome, grass-stains-in-the-summer-with-abundant-sunshine kind of name. 

**K-chan**: The quote you pasted on the review was also my favorite of that chapter! Hmmm… Great minds think alike!

**Koala4u**: Honestly, I share the same viewpoints: I can perfectly see Misao with Aoshi, as well as with other RK characters (mainly Eniishi and Sanosuke), but I have such a hard time seeing Aoshi with someone else. He belongs to Misao… argh! So when I portray Aoshi with Megumi, theirs is not an ideal relationship. The extent of their relationship will be revealed throughout the chapters.

            **Lain**: Boy, now I feel sheepish—I'll try to finish most of my stories over the summer, k? I'm positive that _The Most Incompatible of Unions_, _Lingering Fragrances _and _A Whisper of Grace_ will be finished by the end of the summer… I can't say the same for _In My Place_; at this moment, I'm not completely sure as to which direction it'll take. 

            **Miyazuki**: That's right… Misao's never a character to be dressed up. She sees beyond the ephemeral of one's physique and doesn't care much for things of vanity. She's beautiful inside and out… the epitome of what a lady truly should be. Ironic, isn't it?

            I, for one, am exhilarated that for once, this story has not fallen in the category of "cute" to my readers. Quirky, yes… Humorous, hopefully… But cute? I suppose I wish for others to see that there is more to me than WAFF. But this does not mean that I *****won't*** **putWAFF in later… c'mon, what do you take me for? I am a hopeless romantic… but hopefully one with a cutting edge. Good writers have a multifaceted approach to all their work. 


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